Empty Chairs at Empty Tables
by Loethaelis
Summary: Takes place after "Exit Wounds" Something random that came to mind for a present for a friend. A ship comes into port, hours after the attack.


(A/N) Sorry is this is kind of crap, it was written in a hurry for my friends going away party.)

Jack sighed as a cool breeze caressed his face. It had been mere hours since Owen and Toshiko had died, and here he was, standing on top of the millennium center, already trying to move on. Gwen had gone home to Rhys, and Ianto was still in the hub, probably cleaning up the blood in the med bay. He'd already moved Tosh's body into the freezer, and there wasn't anything left of Owen but a few ashes. Jack looked down on the city of Cardiff, wondering how many people had died, and how many others were having to move on.

_There's a grief that can't be spoken.  
There's a pain goes on and on.  
Empty chairs at empty tables  
Now my friends are dead and gone._

He looked out at the horizon, the sun barely beginning to tint the sky with blue and orange hues. Jack laughed humourlessly. After all this death and destruction, something as beautiful as a sunrise could still exist. He saw the oddly familiar sight of sails coming over the horizon as well. The schooner _Argo _was sailing back from a voyage.

_Here they talked of revolution.  
Here it was they lit the flame.  
Here they sang about tomorrow'  
And tomorrow never came._

Then he thought about what those sailors must be thinking, sailing into their home port, to see it so drastically changed from when they left a month ago. Were the docks even still intact? Jack sighed and made his way to the stairs leading back down into the center. They'd need someone to explain what had happened.

_From the table in the corner  
They could see a world reborn  
And they rose with voices ringing  
I can hear them now!  
The very words that they had sung  
Became their last communion  
On the lonely barricade at dawn._

He took off at a run as soon as his feet hit the pavement, making it to the docks just in time to see them cast their mooring lines to the dock. They all looked shocked, except for a younger woman who was climbing down from the rigging. "Bloody Torchwood" she muttered when she caught sight of Jack.

_Oh my friends, my friends forgive me  
That I live and you are gone.  
There's a grief that can't be spoken.  
There's a pain goes on and on._

The captain called a stand down as Jack gave the cover story of what had happened in the last few hours. The shock grew more and more apparent on everyone's faces. One of the crew, a 17 year old girl, vaulted over the cap rail to walk up to Jack. She reached up slowly, touching his face, as if she was afraid he might disappear. He looked into her eyes, trying to gauge what she was going to do next, and found Tosh staring straight back at him.

_Phantom faces at the window.  
Phantom shadows on the floor.  
Empty chairs at empty tables  
Where my friends will meet no more._

A sob welled up in Jack's chest, then he shook his head. It wasn't Tosh looking at him, it was the girl from the _Argo_'s crew, who had Tosh's eyes. She took a step back. "You're Jack Harkness" She said slowly. He nodded sadly. "Where's Tosh? Is she alright?"

"No" He managed to say with a shake of his head. The girl held back a sob and collapsed. Jack stepped forward just in time to catch her. "I'm sorry"

_Oh my friends, my friends, don't ask me  
What your sacrifice was for  
Empty chairs at empty tables  
Where my friends will sing no more._

"She was my aunt." The girl managed through sobs. Jack knelt by her, holding her to his chest. Another woman vaulted the cap rail to come stand by Jack and the girl. She knelt, petting the girls hair.

"It's alright Usa-ko, just let it all out." Jack looked her in the eyes.

"I'm sorry"

_**The End**_

(A/N) The song is "Empty Chairs At Empty Tables" from Les Miserables. I wrote this for my friend, who is a big torchwood and Les Mis fan as a going away present. The _Argo_ Is a british tall ship. I found her in the ASTA listing)


End file.
